The Secretive and Magical Miss Weasley
by Miss Stone
Summary: PostOOTP Ginny Weasley has many secret talents, and after her family forgets her in the heat of a crisis, she confides in one of her professors. Abandoned, sorry!
1. Disregarding Ginny

The Tuesday of the third week of summer break found the Burrow in a hectic state. The Weasley's, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger had been in the middle of a hearty breakfast when they received an urgent and unpleasant floo call from Albus Dumbledore; Voldemort had found out that Harry was at the Burrow and it was only a matter of time before the Death Eaters began arriving. Chairs toppled over and bits of breakfast fell on the floor as everyone fled the kitchen. Arthur Weasley grabbed the emergency portkey, an old woolen sock that led to the street in London where the Black family house was hidden. Nobody noticed as they reached out to touch the portkey and Arthur spoke the activating password that one finger was missing.

Ginny Weasley was upstairs, in her room having a lie in. The sounds of hysteria in the kitchen as her family left did not wake her as she had become accustomed to sleeping through the rattling and wailing of the ghoul in the attic, just above her bed. She slept peacefully, one leg and arm hanging out from under the pink hand-made quilt, as a dozen Death Eaters apparated in her living room with a series of pops. It wasn't until a hand was laid on her shoulder and a voice gently spoke that she managed to groggily begin to wake.

"Ginny…Ginny?" a soft voice asked, lightly shaking her shoulder. She grunted in response, eyes still closed.

"Ginny, where's Harry?"

Had Ginny been more awake, she would have snapped, "How should I know? I'm not his keeper!" for she had long since gotten over her ridiculous infatuation and hero-worship. Instead, all she could croak out with a thick morning voice was, "Ron's room." She really wanted to go back to sleep, but the voice persisted,

"I looked there. Where else would he be?"

Ginny rolled her eyes behind closed lids. "Outside," she grumbled, burying her face in her pillow. The hand gripped her shoulder a little tighter in what her foggy morning mind recognized as a "Charlie's waking me up" grip.

"He's not outside, Ginny. Do you know where he would be?"

Ginny's mounting annoyance caused her to snap into her pillow, "I don't know! Try Headquarters!" She growled and shrugged her shoulder out from his hand and tried to ignore his presence.  
"Where's Headquarters?"

The simple question caused Ginny to tense and hold her breath. Charlie most certainly knew where Headquarters was. Her whole family did, except Percy. Percy! Was he back?

"Percy!" she shot up and came face-to-face with a white mask.

Tired of trying to trick Potter's whereabouts from the youngest Weasley, the Death Eater roughly grabbed her arm, "Where's Potter, girl?" he demanded.

Ginny recognized the arrogant aristocratic voice, the steely gray eyes and the silver-blonde hair. Lucius Malfoy was perched on the edge of her bed, holding her arm in a vice-like grip and questioning her about Harry. For a moment Ginny was terrified. Then she was furious.

Yanking her arm out of his grip, she flung herself out of bed and stormed to the middle of the room to face him and the other three Death Eaters standing by her door. Feelings of hurt and betrayal ran through her mind as she quickly began to realize what had happened. Once again, because of Harry, her family had forgotten her. She knew without a doubt they had taken the emergency portkey to Number 12 Grimmauld Place to escape. And they had left her.

Her ears turned red at the thought as the infamous Weasley temper crept up on her. Years of hurt feelings poured out of her as she yelled at Lucius, "How the hell should I know where Headquarters is? _Obviously_ they've forgotten me!" she gestured wildly around herself. "And it's all your bloody fault!" She pointed an accusing finger at Lucius as he sat still, face calm behind the mask.

"All because of that stupid diary," she vented. "No one ever remembers poor, little, tag-along Ginny!" she swore loudly as she stomped her foot.

"And YOU!" she shrieked, now pointing at one of the Death Eaters standing at her door with folded arms. She would recognize that tall, imposing figure with lank, black hair anywhere. His dark eyes narrowed through his mask and glittered dangerously.

"I _knew _it!" she yelled. "I _knew_ you were one of them, _Professor!_" she spat.

She turned and glared back at Lucius who was obviously enjoying her tantrum. Her voice, suddenly calm and cold, sobered him quickly as she said, "I don't know where Harry bloody Potter is, and frankly, I don't care," and she was gone.

Ginny apparated in front of Number 11 Grimmauld Place and stalked across the street to Number 12 as it ballooned into existence. She realized as she was stomping up to the door that she had left her wand at the Burrow under her pillow, but she didn't care. She didn't really need it anyway. For the past years she had only been using it to keep up appearances. She did not want anyone to know that she was quite adept at wandless magic. She also didn't want anyone to know that she had secretly learned to apparate, but she was afraid that secret would be out the moment her family saw her.

She threw open the door to the Black residence with a bang, waking the awful portrait of Mrs. Black. The curtains covering her flew open and she inhaled to begin screeching of the abomination on her house and name. But before she could get one word out, Ginny turned to her and morphed into a dragon, spewing hot flames at the portrait. She quickly turned back to herself and stomped up the stairs, into the first room at the top and slammed the door.

Molly Weasley came bustling out of the kitchen in time to see her daughter's petite frame disappear behind the study door with a bang. She was distracted from going after Ginny by the flaming curtains in the hallway, however. Pulling out her wand, she muttered a spell that caused water to pour out and dowse the flames. Sufficiently cowed, Mrs. Black peered out from behind her chair and remained silent in her charred portrait.

Ginny was infuriated with her family and had no desire to speak with them at the present. The room she had carelessly walked into was a dusty study, and when she slammed and warded the door, a number of irritating doxies came flying out of the curtains in front of the window across the room. Still hot with anger, Ginny turned her palms toward the furry creatures, pushing the air in front of her and all the doxies fell to the ground, unconscious. She waved her hand and they were all swept into a neat pile in the corner.

Feeling the need to cool down, Ginny slipped into her tiger form and began pacing the room. That was yet another secret of hers – she was a polyanimagus; she could turn into any creature, magical or not, at will. As a tiger, she continued to pace the room and growl, sorting through her thoughts. She was disturbed by a knocking on the door and her mother's voice,

"Ginny?" When she refused to answer, her mother touched the doorknob and received the full brunt of Ginny's famous bat-bogey hex.

"GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY!" she shrieked. Ginny just shook her feline head and continued pacing, ignoring her mother's pleas and threats to open the door.

She listened, amused, as Fred, George, Ron and Harry all tried to open the door. They all received the bat-bogey hex and more, for she had warded the door specifically with difficult curses. The more they tried to open it, the worse the hexes and curses became, until they were bordering on the line of "dark magic". Finally, they stopped, although she could still hear them murmuring outside.

Suddenly, the door blasted open, causing Ginny to crouch under the desk in fear with her ears laid back on her head. Professor Snape walked in and stared down his long nose at her. Ginny calmed and slipped back out to resume pacing, until Ron stuck his face in the room. Then she roared and pounced toward him. Snape slammed the door shut in Ron's startled face, causing Ginny to dive headfirst into it.

Crumpled against the door, she turned back into her human self and began to sob. She hugged her knees to her chest and buried her face in the crook of her arm as she cried, letting out all the hurt and pain her family had caused her through their neglect.

"Miss Weasley," the professor began in his normal cold and clipped tone. Ginny's shoulders shook as she tried to pull herself together, but she only sobbed harder.

"Miss Weasley," he said again, sounding exasperated. "I am in no mood to listen to sniveling, pathetic little girls," he hissed at her.

Ginny pulled her head up, tears coursing down her cheeks, "Then why are you here, Professor? Huh? So you can make fun of me and forget about me like everyone else does?" She felt much more bold speaking to him now that she had seen him in his Death Eater garb, almost as if she had something to hold over him.

"I am here, _Miss_ _Weasley_, to discern how, in the name of Merlin, you managed to escape. And to give you this."

Ginny looked up, once again, and found the handle of her wand in front of her face. Tentatively, she reached up and grasped it, clutching it in her fist so tightly her knuckles were turning white. "Thank you, Professor," she croaked, swiping the free-falling tears from her eyes. She moaned and used the back of her hand to wipe the sticky mess from her face. Professor Snape rolled his eyes and brandished a handkerchief. "Thanks," she said, meekly, and blew her nose.

He then startled her by lowering himself gracefully to the ground and sitting next to her, leaning back against the wall. He closed his eyes and gave an almost imperceptive sigh, reminding Ginny that he had most likely also had a long and weary morning.

Feeling somewhat guilty about yelling at him back in her room at the Burrow, she rested her chin on her knees, staring straight ahead and said quietly, "Professor…I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier."

Eyes still closed, Snape said, "Apology accepted, Miss Weasley."

A comfortable silence stretched as each sorted through troubled minds. Ginny, however, could not stay quiet for long. "I really do feel bad, Professor. I didn't mean what I said. I know you're on our side."

"I know, Miss Weasley."

"It was just an act for Malfoy and the others."

"_Thank _you, Miss Weasley," he remarked with a bit of finality but sincerity.

Ginny decided to keep quiet for a little longer, before she really began to irritate him. After a moment or so, she said, "I apparated."

Snape's brow furrowed and he slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. She was still staring straight ahead, chin on her knees, as she continued, "I've been practicing for a while now. Every night, in my room. I only go a few inches so if I splinch I can fix myself. I've only splinched twice, and neither time was too bad. Just a couple of fingers and toes…" she trailed off. "This is the furthest I've ever gone. I'm really glad I made it." She fell silent again as she could see him staring at her in her peripheral vision. She had the feeling he was looking at her like a botched potion and it made her uneasy.

Finally he broke the silence, "How long have you been able to control wandless magic?"

Ginny smiled a half-smile and gave a small sad chuckle, "Since Tom."

At that statement, they let the comfort of silence descend again for another five minutes. There was a crash downstairs, the unmistakable sound of Tonks knocking over the umbrella stand again. Snape and Ginny braced themselves for the inevitable screeching portrait, but curiously, nothing came.

"Well, I'll be!" Ginny said with her first real smile of the day, "It actually worked!"

Snape looked at her in confusion, "What did you do?"

Blushing lightly and chuckling, Ginny said, "I scared the bejeezus out of the old hag!" Noting his continued confusion, she explained further, "I turned into a dragon and breathed fire at her."

If anything, Snape was more lost, brows furrowing deeper. Ginny felt somewhat smug having the upper hand on her professor, but took pity when she realized his confusion was rapidly deteriorating to annoyance.

"I'm a polyanimagus," she whispered. "But please," she quickly added, grabbing his arm, "don't tell _anyone!_"

He glared at her hand until she hastily removed it.

"I-my family doesn't even know. I haven't told them anything."

"Why," Snape asked, "when you have such a large and caring family, would you choose to hide your talents from them?" He seemed genuinely curious.

"Why should I tell them?" she countered. Before he could lecture her on her cheek, she continued, "I don't really know why I keep it all a secret. I guess it has something to do with my first year. I got so used to keeping secrets. Granted, half the time I didn't even know what I was doing, but still…I almost feel like, and it's horrible to say, but especially after today I almost feel like they don't deserve to know. Like, maybe if they actually paid attention and noticed when I was missing…remembered me in times of crisis, maybe then they'd have a right to know…I don't know. It doesn't really make sense."

She paused. "Maybe it all comes down to Harry. My family considers him like another son, or brother, which is fine. I don't really mind that. But it's like they replaced me with him. I can't help but feel annoyed whenever I see him. And he always finds out all the important secrets. So this is like my own little way of saying, 'you don't really know everything.'" Ginny stopped her rambling to chance a glance at her professor and was not surprised to see the look of pure loathing etched across his face that was always found whenever Harry Potter was mentioned. It made her smile.

"Perhaps," Professor Snape said, completely changing the subject, "you'd like some lunch?"

Ginny shifted nervously, not entirely keen on meeting her family after they had been subjected to a number of her more powerful curses.

"I-I don't think I'm quite hungry for lunch yet," she lied. Her stomach growled traitorously. She nervously looked sidelong at her professor who simply raised a single eyebrow.

Slowly and carefully, he hauled himself to his feet and looked down at her.

"I do not advise starving yourself to avoid questions, Miss Weasley. However," he continued more slyly in response to her disgruntled face, "you do have the means to be… _unobtrusive_." He smirked, showing his true Slytherin colors.

Her caramel eyes lightened with realization and a smile slowly crept its way onto her face. "Thank you, professor," she said, "in more ways than one."

He merely inclined his head in acknowledgement and turned to open the door. Ginny transformed into a small black cat and followed him out, winding between his feet as cats do.

Ron, Hermione and Harry were sitting a bit further down the hall, and Ron immediately jumped up at their exit. "How is she?" he demanded of the professor.

Snape sneered, "She is just fine, Mr. Weasley, no thanks to you." He shut the door behind him with a snap and Ron's ears turned red in anger,

"What are you doing? I want to talk to my sister!"

"I'm sure, Mr. Weasley, your sister will open the door when she's ready to talk to you," Snape sneered as he headed toward the stairs. Ginny had paused in her winding path to listen to her brother's outburst, which unfortunately caused Snape to trip over her and curse. "Blasted animal!" he muttered as he bent down to pick her up.

"Well how come she'll talk to _you_ but not me?" Ron persisted indignantly.

Snape stopped and turned slowly, sneering nastily at him. "Because, Mr. Weasley, _I_ did not leave her behind." He raised an eyebrow and turned back to the stairs, letting his robes swirl behind him as he cradled the black cat in his arms.

Stung, Ron stared at his back, silently admitting defeat. As he rejoined Harry and Hermione, he asked, "Do you think that cat was Ginny?"

"Don't be silly, Ron," Hermione said, "You said yourself she was a tiger animagus."


	2. Through a Cat's Eyes

Upon entering the kitchen, Professor Snape was immediately accosted by an anxious Molly Weasley.

"How is she, Severus?" she asked, wringing her hands.

"Physically, she's fine, Molly," he answered in clipped tones, heading toward the long table. He sat down stiffly and placed Ginny on the floor who sat back on her haunches and stared up at them with wide, yellow eyes.

"I feel so terrible…" Mrs. Weasley began as she set a bowl of soup and a piece of bread in front of him. "I can't believe we didn't notice right away…" she trailed off, her guilty mind berating her for forgetting her only daughter.

Leaving her to her thoughts, Professor Snape stood and ladled out another bowl of soup. He carried it back to his seat and set it on the floor before turning back to his own lunch. Ginny gratefully padded over and began lapping up her mother's homemade soup while listening to their conversation.

"Did they come to our house?" Ginny heard her mother query.

"Yes," the professor replied.

Molly gasped and put her hand to her heart. "But Ginny was gone by then."  
Professor Snape laid down his spoon and looked her in the eye, "No."

A horrified sob escaped Mrs. Weasley and he continued quickly, "Lucius questioned her, but she revealed nothing."

"Oh, my poor baby!"

Ginny stopped eating her soup for a moment to observe her mother. She was flushed with anxiety and her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

"How did you get her away from them?" she choked out.

"I did not," the professor replied, "she apparated."

Ginny wrinkled her nose. She was hoping he would keep that part a secret. Although, she had to admit to herself that her mother's reaction was worth it.

"Wha- how? She can _apparate?_"

Professor Snape nodded and picked up his spoon to continue on with his soup. "She's quite capable of taking care of herself," he said. Ginny whipped her head around to face him. Was that a compliment? Wonders never ceased.

Mrs. Weasley had her elbows on the table and her head in her hands, half-crying and muttering about what a horrible mother she was. Ginny took pity on her, having already forgiven her family in her heart, and brushed against her leg. At first, Mrs. Weasley did not notice the little black cat, but as Ginny continued rubbing against her leg and purring, she glanced down and smiled weakly.

"Hullo, there," she said, pulling her onto her lap. "Who are you?"

Ginny stared up at her with her bright eyes and purred louder. As her mother scratched her behind the ears, she turned to Professor Snape again.

"I don't remember ever seeing a cat around here," she stated. "Where did it come from?"

"She was in the study," the professor replied smoothly.

Mrs. Weasley was about to respond, but was cut short by the kitchen door swinging open as Remus Lupin entered.

"Remus!" Molly cried, hopping up to get him a bowl of soup and dumping Ginny in the process.

"Afternoon Molly, Severus," he replied, nodding to each.

"Lupin," Snape growled.

Tonks entered the kitchen a moment later, closely followed by Kingsley Shacklebolt and Professor McGonagall.

Ginny slipped under the table as more Order members began filing in and crouched by Snape's feet. Looking up at him, she saw his attention was on the people as they came in, so she took the opportunity to spring up on his lap, causing him to jump and scowl down at her. Before he could protest, she curled up and closed her eyes.

Ginny smiled inwardly as she felt Snape sigh in defeat. She had always wanted to listen in on Order business and this was her chance. She flicked her tail, relishing the thought of her brothers' jealous faces if they knew.

She peeped one eye open in surprise when Snape lightly rubbed her back from her ears to the base of her tail. She shuddered, that felt _good_. He continued to repeat the process, lightly caressing her, causing her to purr uncontrollably. When he suddenly stopped, Ginny opened her eyes and meowed in protest. Snape scowled at her as others nearby chuckled and held a chunk of bread in front of her nose. Animal instincts taking over, Ginny devoured it, licking his fingers clean with her rough tongue. She paused mid-lick, mortified, as she realized she was licking Professor _Snape's_ fingers. She abruptly stopped and looked away.

The meeting was just starting as Snape resumed stroking her. She relaxed and her eyes began to droop shut. Just as she was on the verge of falling asleep she realized what he had done and thought, "Damn that Snape, putting sleeping potion in the bread!"

A/N: Well, I'm not as happy with this chapter, but whatever. I'm really flattered y'all seem to like the last one okay. I have _no idea_ where the story is going yet...I'm just winging it! Thanks for the encouragement. :-)


	3. Dark Reflections

As Ginny slowly began to wake, memories of the morning and early afternoon gradually returned, causing a fresh wave of disappointment to wash over her. She felt her stomach lurch as she remembered that horrible feeling of realization when she found herself surrounded by Death Eaters in her house. Her bedroom. Her safe place. _No place is safe,_ she thought gloomily. Eyes still closed, she recalled the image of Malfoy Sr. perched on the edge of her bed, his black robes a stark contrast to her pink quilt and his frosty eyes a testament to the code of hate he chose to live by. A chill went down her spine at the thought of having been in his presence. At the time she had been too concerned with getting away, adrenaline pumping through her veins, for her to fully comprehend the fact that she was in the company of _Lucius Malfoy_. Not to mention a handful of other Death Eaters. As scary as any Death Eater was, though, none could compare in her mind to Mr. Malfoy. There was something about him that just reeked of evil, something that made him ten times bigger than all the others to her. Something that was deeply personal. He was the one that had cunningly slipped that wonderful, awful diary into her hands. Not a day went by that she did not think of it; that she did not remember the soothing words written to her by her first friend, or the pain of betrayal when she realized she had been deceived. Every night, when the lights went out and she was plunged in darkness, she relived her nightmare. She could almost hear drops of water falling, reverberating through The Chamber, and the scratching of rats scuttling over animal bones in the pipes overhead. The cold of The Chamber coupled with the numbing feeling of her soul trickling from her body into the diary would unfailingly cause her to break out into gooseflesh. And then she would remember the heart-warming concern from her secret quill-pal when she had a bad day. Her thoughts would drift to the memory Tom showed her of himself – a young, pale boy with a head full of dark hair and large, haunting blue eyes. He had been tiny for his age and appeared even smaller, huddled in a corner of the orphanage he had grown up in, knees drawn to his chest. Ginny had angrily watched on, unable to interfere in a memory, as older and bigger children kicked little Tom and called him a freak. Then she would remind herself that this boy had grown up into the darkest and most feared wizard of the age. She hated and pitied Voldemort. The familiar confusing emotions welled up inside of her, muddling her brain, allowing her to curiously wonder if perhaps there was still a little bit of Tom left in You-know-who.

Feeling overwhelmed with frustration, she cut off the guilt-inducing train of thought. If anyone even suspected her feelings concerning the Dark Lord were not black and white, they would think she was either mental or a supporter of his cause. No matter how unsure she was about _him_, she would _never_ agree with his hatred and bloodlust. She was definitely not a supporter. Mental, on the other hand? Now that could be argued.

Shaking her head to clear it of contradicting and rather controversial thoughts, she began to get up from her potion-induced nap. A quick look around the room informed her that Snape had brought her back to the study and placed her on a plush, if rather moth-eaten, chair. She gave a mighty stretch from her dagger-like claws to the tip of her fuzzy black tail before lightly hopping down to the floor where she changed back to herself. She looked down and amusedly noticed that she was still wearing her nightgown and it was almost dinnertime. _Ah well, _she thought, _why bother changing now?_ She let herself out of the room and was immediately accosted by Ron. _Good heavens, has he been sitting out here this entire time?_

"Ginny!" he exclaimed as he jumped up from the floor and nearly flew over to her. He wrapped his tall, gangly form around her in a crushing bear-hug, muttering her name over and over again. "Ginny…oh Ginny, I'm so sorry," he sobbed. Gently pulling away from him, she looked up at the tears cascading down his face and was touched. Ron rarely cried, and when he did, it was usually accompanied with anger. This time, however, there was no anger in his eyes, only remorse. She felt her own eyes begin to prickle as she tried desperately to force away a growing lump in her throat. She threw her arms around her brother's neck and assured him that he had her forgiveness.

When he finally released her, Ron's face began to turn red in embarrassment and he took a step back, wiping the tears away. After one last sniffle (more of a honk, actually) he got himself under control and met her eyes again. "So," he said, cuffing her lightly on the shoulder, "when were you gonna tell us you were an animagus?"

Ginny chuckled, "Maybe after my prat of a brother figured it out for himself…"

"Oi! Bro_thers!_ In the plural! I'm not the only one, you know." He looked at her shrewdly, "You're pretty sneaky, you know that? You sure you're not a Slytherin?"

_No._

"Yes!"

_Not anymore._

_Shut up!_

Ron laughed and threw an arm around her shoulders. "Come on," he said, leading her down the stairs and to the kitchen for dinner.


End file.
